Have you seen a Cape Leopard in the mountains? Know anyone who has? A “yes” will mean you are as rare as that wonderful creature itself!
To cut through the myth and mystery around this magnificent beast, the University of the Third Age (U3A) Helderberg has invited Jeannie Hayward, communications and media manager of the Cape Leopard Trust (CLT), to address visitors at its monthly meeting at Strand Town Hall on Wednesday 3 April at 10:00.
Hayward’s talk is entitled “Saving a Spot for Leopards in the Cape”. In a very visual presentation she will share the story of the leopards of the Cape and give an overview of how the CLT studies these elusive creatures, what is known about their ecology and behaviour, and what is threatening their survival.
Her talk will showcase several of the CLT’s projects and highlight their three-pillar approach of research, conservation and education.
The Cape Leopard Trust, which was established in 2004, is an environmental non-governmental organisation based in the Western Cape. It aims to facilitate and promote the conservation of biological diversity, with a focus on the leopard as a flagship species.
Hayward is admirably qualified for her task of communicating these aims.
Her Karoo childhood ensured an intense love for the veld and nature and, during her university years (she has an MSc in Zoology from Stellenbosch), she often visited the Tankwa Karoo, Sandveld and Cederberg to do reptile surveys and research.
Hayward then worked briefly in the television industry as a researcher on the natural history show GROEN and as a researcher and production manager on a series about South Africa’s threatened wildlife.
She also compiled the text for the coffee table book, Shoreline – Discovering South Africa’s coast.
In March 2010 Hayward joined the CLT team as a coordinator and researcher on the new Boland Project. There she, along with her colleague Anita Wilkinson, established a very successful leopard research project, the outcomes of which have informed conservation and management strategies in the Boland area.
Although still involved with research and conservation, as communications and media manager Hayward’s first priority is to ensure that the CLT’s research and educational as well as conservation message is disseminated to a wide public audience.
Entrance for members is free; visitors pay R20 at the door.
Enquiries: 0 Denise Fourie on 072 211 1173.
